Given name · also French
Leonie
“having the strength of a lion”
Leonie is a variant of Leona. In Latin use, Leona carries the interpretation “having the strength of a lion.”
Original FrenchLéonie
Meaning & origin
What it means
Leonie is a variant of Leona. In Latin use, Leona carries the interpretation “having the strength of a lion.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Leonie comes from French, and ultimately from Latin.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In German usage, Leonie is a short form of Eleonore.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Leonie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,231
- 0 boys · 2,231 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 80 babies
- 2025
- 80
- #2,291 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +3%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 80 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,291 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 3.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (21). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,395 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Leonie’s family of names
In German usage, Leonie is a short form of Eleonore. Leonie has a related form in Leona. In German usage, Leonie has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form Leonia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Leonie has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Leonie
- Leonie BeneschGerman actressborn 1991
- Leonie MaierGerman footballerborn 1992
- Leonie SwannGerman writer (born 1975)
- Leonie Rysanek(1926-1998) opera singer
- Leonie OssowskiGerman screenwriter and writer (1925–2019)
- Leonie KüngSwiss tennis playerborn 2000
- Leonie BeckGerman swimmerborn 1997
- Leonie SaintGerman actress, model and TV presenterborn 1986
- Leonie MenzelGerman rowerborn 1999
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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